1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fluid ejecting apparatus.
2. Related Art
Generally, as a fluid ejecting apparatus which ejects ink droplet to a recording paper (medium), an ink jet type printer (hereinafter, refer to a “printer”) is widely known. In such a printer, there is problem in which clogging of the nozzle by a thickening of viscosity or the solidification of ink through vaporizing of ink from a nozzle of the recording head, adherence of dust, mixing of air bubbles, and the like, occurs, thus a printing failure is caused. Therefore, in the printer, a flushing operation in which ink within a nozzle is forcibly discharged is performed, aside from ejecting ink to the recording paper.
Typically, in a scanning type printer, the flushing operation may be performed in a state where the recording head is moved to an area other than a recording area. However, in a printer having a line head in which the recording head is fixed, the recording head cannot move when the flushing operation is performed. Therefore, for example, a method, in which ink is discharged toward an absorbing material (an absorption member) installed on a surface of a transporting belt for transporting the recording paper, was considered (refer to JP-A-2005-119284).
However, in JP-A-2005-119284, since a plurality of absorbing material is disposed on the transporting belt at a regular intervals according to the size of the recording paper, ink must be ejected at the space between the recording papers when the flushing operation is performed, and there is a problem that the size of the recording paper or a transport velocity is limited. Further, when the flushing operation is performed to a planar absorbing material, a mist-phase ink is scattered by the wind pressure according to the discharge of ink droplet, and there is concern that the recording paper or the transporting belt is likely to be contaminated.
Therefore, it is considered that a linear absorption member is used as the absorbing material, in which the linear absorption member (absorbing material) is disposed between the line head and the recording paper (recording medium), and ink may be received in the absorption member by ejecting and flushing ink toward the absorption member. In that case, since the amount of ink receivable in the absorption member is limited, moving the absorption member after receiving ink to some extent, performing flushing toward a new area of the absorption member, and again receiving ink is considered.
However, in the case where the absorption member is moved, tension thereof becomes unstable, and for example slackness is generated. Thus, vibration occurs due to the slackness, the area received with ink becomes contact with the head or the recording paper, and there is concern that the head or the recording paper may become contaminated. Also, if the absorption member is moved more than necessary, there is concern that the use efficiency of the absorption member may be lowered.